In Praise of Doubt
Written by Studio AM.
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Doubt has a bad reputation. We speak of it as weakness, as the enemy of conviction. A person wracked with doubt may hesitate when a decision is needed. Yet certainty can also carry a cost. Consider an employer who is certain that a missed deadline proves carelessness. If she dismisses every explanation, she may overlook an unclear brief or a missing resource. Confidence becomes a problem when it prevents inquiry.
Doubt, by contrast, allows us to admit that our view is partial. It can help us listen to an opponent instead of simply waiting to speak. It can lead a scientist to test the belief she most wants to be true. Honest doubt makes room for evidence that might change a conclusion.
This is not a call to believe nothing. Doubting every claim equally makes it hard to choose between strong evidence and weak speculation. Refusing all doubt makes correction difficult. The useful balance is to hold a belief firmly enough to act while remaining willing to revise it when the evidence changes: committed, but correctable.
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Question 1 of 5
What is the author's main argument?
The answer is B: Balanced doubt enables learning and humility
The author argues that doubt can make room for evidence and correction, while warning against treating every claim as equally uncertain. The final phrase combines action with a willingness to revise beliefs.
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Question 2 of 5
Why does the author describe the employer's reaction to a missed deadline?
The answer is A: To show how certainty can prevent a fair examination of explanations
The employer might miss relevant facts because she has already settled on carelessness. The hypothetical example illustrates a risk of refusing to question a conclusion.
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Question 3 of 5
What does 'committed, but correctable' mean as a way to live?
The answer is B: Act on beliefs while remaining open to revision
The final sentence recommends acting on a belief while remaining willing to revise it when the evidence changes.
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Question 4 of 5
As used in the passage, "wracked" most nearly means:
The answer is D: tormented
Someone wracked with doubt is deeply troubled or tormented by it. The opening connects that distress with difficulty making a decision.
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Question 5 of 5
According to the passage, what is true of a person who doubts everything equally?
The answer is B: They may struggle to distinguish strong evidence from weak speculation
The final paragraph says that doubting every claim equally makes it difficult to choose between strong evidence and weak speculation.
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